A double from Danny Hylton and a 25 yard Jermaine McGlashan strike saw Shots put together back to back League Two wins for the first time in two months, to cap a storming second half performance. In truth,
Shots have been poor at home this season, but they made a mockery of that form in this match, which resulted in a rare commodity - a comfortable home win!
Manager Dean Holdsworth was forced to make one change from the starting eleven which fought so bravely against the might of Manchester United on Tuesday. With Alex Rodman out nursing an injured shoulder, Adam Smith - on loan from Mansfield came back into the team. The inclusion of another loanee (on the bench) caused more excitement though - Scotty Davies, returning until January from Crawley Town.
Both these sides came to play football, so, like Shots v Crewe matches always are, it was clear from the outset that the game would be an open one. Shots began brightly, showing no signs of fatigue after the United match, but - along with the visitors, failed to register any efforts on target in the opening twenty minutes.
Shots almost took the lead on 20 minutes. Good passing interplay saw Luke Guttridge receive the ball some 25 yards out, just right of centre. He got his head down and struck a powerful shot that beat Crewe keeper Steve Phillips, only to rebound from the foot of his right hand post. A minute later though, Shots did take the lead. Adam Smith crossed from the left, Rankine headed down towards goal and Danny Hylton arrived in the right place at the right time to rifle home from a yard. 1-0 Shots.
Unfortunately, the lad was not to last for long and just four minutes later, Crewe broke and Ajay Leitch-Smith wrong footed a couple of Shots defenders before firing home from 12 yards, under the body of Ross Worner.
So, all square at the break and no changes made by either side. Shots signalled their intent within moments of the second halkf starting, forcing a corner, which Darren Jones headed just over the bar. A minute later, Shots were back in front. A long goal kick from Worner was flicked on, into the path of Jermaine McGlashan. The ball bounced nicely for him and the young winger decided to strike it first time from 25 yards. His shot took a wicked deflection off a Crewe defender and lopped over Phillips and into the net, but the goal will, I'm sure, be credited to McGlashan. 2-1 Shots.
Just after the hour came a goal of real class for Shots. Hylton did brilliantly to control a long ball forward, held it up and then layed it off to Vincenti, who took the ball on to the by-line. There was barely a Shots player in the box, until Hylton advanced forward, Vincenti pulled the ball back and young Danny caught his shot sweetly, sweeping the ball into right hand corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of Phillips. 3-1.
77 minutes saw the re-introduction of Scotty Davies to the EBB Stadium, which drew warm applause from the home faithful, both for Davies and the departing McGlashan. Davies forced a corner with his first touch, but it came to nothing. The intorduction of Davies, into the heart of the midfield, saw Shots revert to a 4-5-1 formation, with Hylton dropping out to the left, \Smith swithcing to the right.
On 80 minutes, Smith drew a great save from Phillips, who somehow forced the wingers thumping 20 yard drive onto his left hand post. On 86 minutes, Phillips was on hand again to stop a Rankine drive that he could barely have seen.